The present invention relates in general to respiratory ventilation, and in particular to methodology for providing pressure support to respiratory airways during ventilator-assisted respiration.
Certain respiratory diseases not only require patient special care with respect to physical activity and attendant exertion levels, but also require specialized mechanical augmentation to permit the patient to maintain pressure support to respiratory airways. Thus, while lung dysfunction, lung tissue degradation, autonomic nervous system disability, etc. can deprive an individual of adequate oxygenation and attendant carbon dioxide removal, dysfunctional air delivery conduits also can contribute to reduced respiratory efficiency since affected respiratory airways may lack adequate support to maintain adequate structural stability during the respiration process.
One present method for treating airway malfunction provides for positive end expiratory pressure application by a ventilator. A second treatment method is a widely-used breathing technique called "pursed lip breathing." Both procedures involve back pressure applied to the respiratory airways to thereby attempt to maintain airway structure and resultant passageway openness. While these approaches certainly aid respiration, it is generally recognized that their respective adequacies can be improved. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a method of supporting respiratory airways by applying variable pressure magnitudes depending upon the timing within the respiratory cycle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide methodology for supporting respiratory airways in association with delivery thereof by a ventilator.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide respiratory airway support wherein traditional positive end expiratory pressure is augmented with supplemental pressure support.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.